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solstice98

Hurricane Fay

solstice98
15 years ago

I know we have some other members of this forum from Florida. Hope you all will be OK and have your preparations ready. I don't think we'll have really bad weather in Orlando but we thought we were safe when Hurricane Charley came roaring through in 2004. We're taking this one seriously, just in case.

Goodluck, Everyone!

Kate

Comments (24)

  • geezerfolks_SharonG_FL
    15 years ago

    Kate, You're in Orlando? I'm pretty much due west of you in Crystal River on the Gulf coast. We're more concerned about the storm surge and flooding as I don't think it'll get to be a severe hurricane. But, ya never know. I have everything ready except I need to get our important papers together. We might be evacuated, but probably not til tomorrow night and then will head to DD's who is 10 miles away.....in the path, but inland.

    Stay dry......

    SharonG/FL

  • solstice98
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Hi Sharon,
    I'm just east of Orlando and the latest storm track takes it right over my house! Since the center has weakened I'm not worried, but I'm glad I partially drained the pool; they are predicting up to 9" of rain here. I'll be even happier if it tracks a little further east of us so we aren't in that eastern quadrant that tends to get the most tornadoes.

    I hope you don't have to evacuate inland, although it's good you have a place to go so close to home. Being in Crystal River you must have to worry about storm surge for any Gulf hurricane.

    Best of luck!

  • daylilydayzed
    15 years ago

    Here in Lakeland we just got a little rain and a little wind. Nothing major. Just lost one day of work due to the storm but we go back to school tomorrow. Originally they were saying 2 days we would be out but they changed their minds and we only lose today. Yesterday was the first day of school for this 2208-2009 term.
    Actually it never reached hurricane strength , but it is still a powerful storm with winds just under hurricane strength.

  • rosajoe_gw
    15 years ago

    My fam in Orlando is not in a flood area. Sharon you live in a beautiful area, my daughter wanted to move there but they stayed in Orlando.
    We are getting rainds but we need it so much, I hope some of it makes it to Atlanta.
    We will loose electric and dish TV I am sure. If a cloud goes over us the dish goes out!!!
    Stay safe everyone.
    Rosa

  • geezerfolks_SharonG_FL
    15 years ago

    So far we've gotten a little rain, but our jungle is slowing filling up with water. So far, we've never had it touch the house, even in 2004 when we had the hurricanes. So, yes, we get storm surge. DGD had half-day of school today but that's ok....she slept on the couch all afternoon. This sure is a strange storm....they say instead of weakening over land, it's the strongest it's ever been and is predicted to become a hurricane over on your side of the state, Kate. But, I think we'll all probably miss the worst of this one.

    Thanks Rosa, I didn't realize you had been over in my neck of the jungle. I'm prepared for when the satellite goes out. I keep things recorded to watch during that time. As long as we have electric, we can watch TV. @:) I hate it when the electric goes out!!!

    SharonG/FL

  • rosajoe_gw
    15 years ago

    Sharon your neck of the jungle is beautiful!!! My DD's fam are part fish and they love to take the boat out in Crystal River. They love to swim in the springs, they are beautiful but too cold for me.
    I personally think your area is far more exotic than the rest of Florida. My Mother's fam is from Tampa and St. Augustine so I am familiar with most of the state.
    We also spent a lot of time at Bonita Springs when I was growing up.
    Can you imagine living in Florida without AC, we did!
    DH and I took a mini vacation in the Crystal River area and he was attacked by bugs, I didn't get one bite!!!
    We are expected to get a lot of rain so we will loose the electric too I am sure. Central Florida has taught me to keep candles, water, full gas tank, canned goods, and we keep some cash hidden. When I worked for AT&T I was 'stuck' in the building for 2 days during a hurricane in Orlando, we had to sleep on the stinky thin carpet. The building leaked and we had buckets everywhere. We worked with plastic sheets over our heads so the computers didn't get wet. I am soooo glad I am retired!!
    Savannah is so low it floods during a good rain, but we are about an hour and a half away so we are OK.
    I warned my fam to watch out for hurrican Laura (my daughter), if they go that high. My niece is Katrina and it was a terror!!
    KOKO Rosa

  • solstice98
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    It's just after 9pm and right now it feels like a storm. Winds are strong & constant, and we've had a couple heavy rains. Several stalks on the banana are broken and laying on the ground. The animals are nervous, too and that spooks me a little. DH is in New Jersey this week and although I'm used to his work travel schedule, I wish he was home tonight.

  • geezerfolks_SharonG_FL
    15 years ago

    Kate, How're you doing today? I'm sneezing like crazy so the barometric pressure must be changing around here and it's dark looking like rain. Sorry about your banana tree. We have one started, but I don't know how long it takes for them to fruit.

    Rosa, You're a riot! If we lived closer, I just know we'd set the town on edge.....at least until dark! My dad was from Alabama and they never had AC and we never had it either. In fact, it wasn't until 1988 when we rented a house with central air that we had it.....20 years later and I can't do without it!

    SharonG/FL

  • rosajoe_gw
    15 years ago

    Kate and Sharon it looks like the storm is really flooding Florida and is moving very slow.
    TV says it may be pushed out to the ocean around Savannah and then come back to land.
    It is dark here too and we have rain from the other front going through.
    Sorry about your plants, we were living in Longwood when the terrible 4 came through and I lost many of my favorite plants. 5 trees on the property behind us fell and thank goodness they all fell away from our house. Our cul-de-sac was blocked by a fallen tree and no one had a chain saw to cut us out.
    The 2 DGD's sat on their porch and counted the cars that had to turn around in their drive way because their street was blocked. They had power out for 2 weeks so they stayed with us.
    I really don't miss the storms!!! But I do miss the girls.
    Stay safe and dry.
    Rosa

  • cannahavana
    15 years ago

    Please send some rain to east TN! My gardens are thirsty!

    Rebecca

  • solstice98
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Fay has finally decided to move on a little and our rain has stopped. The poor coast people are really getting flooded out! We're all likely to see more rain tomorrow as Fay moves back west and starts drawing water off the Gulf side again. I don't have a rain gauge but I've had to drain the pool 3 times so I'm guessing we've had around 8" of rain. They are saying my area could get up to 6 more inches tomorrow, but if it heads a little further north we probably won't get any. With these storms you just never know what's really going to happen next.

    If we could send water up to Georgia and TN, we would be happy to do it! My brother in Atlanta is dealing with the drought too and his yard is drying up.

    Kate

  • solstice98
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    This is (almost) funny. At 8:15 I said the rain had stopped. Now it's 8:30 and the wind and rain are back. We're right in one of the center bands coming off the Atlantic.

    Just took this one a minute ago:

    {{gwi:759725}}

  • rosajoe_gw
    15 years ago

    It is dark and rainy and I have the candles and flashlights ready. The Savannah paper said to expect power outages.
    Ask me how I know to make sure I can find the little simple hand can opener if the power goes out. LOL!!
    The weather channel reports rain today in Atlanta from the front that is pushing Fay out to the ocean.
    Probably not as much as we will get.
    Glad everyone is safe. We need the rain but not all at once.
    Rosa

  • solstice98
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Sharon! Are you OK? Looks like the storm is pounding you today and almost on top of you.

    Kate

  • geezerfolks_SharonG_FL
    15 years ago

    We haven't lost electric but the power keeps surging so we've had the computer off most of the day. Our daughter, Holly, who lives locally, keeps calling to make sure we're ok, and we are. She's concerned we're going to get stranded because of flooding. Sally and Wendy have both called, too. The small lake down the road from us is overflowing and rushing through the culvert so we might get some fish swimming around here soon. High tide is in a couple hours so it'll get worse and it usually takes a couple days for the water to crest in our jungle. There's at least a couple inches in DH's greenhouse so he's a bit depressed about that. He's been in the house all day and is not a very happy camper today. But, it could be so much worse than what it is.

    SharonG/FL

  • geezerfolks_SharonG_FL
    15 years ago

    We haven't lost electric but the power keeps surging so we've had the computer off most of the day. Our daughter, Holly, who lives locally, keeps calling to make sure we're ok, and we are. She's concerned we're going to get stranded because of flooding. Sally and Wendy have both called, too. The small lake down the road from us is overflowing and rushing through the culvert so we might get some fish swimming around here soon. High tide is in a couple hours so it'll get worse and it usually takes a couple days for the water to crest in our jungle. There's at least a couple inches in DH's greenhouse so he's a bit depressed about that. He's been in the house all day and is not a very happy camper today. But, it could be so much worse than what it is.

    SharonG/FL

  • sunnycentralfl
    15 years ago

    After 4 days of downpours, wind and dark skies, I think we are ok in south Orl. At least it is quiet now, but Fay has repeated her unexpected visits many times. Its been unnerving to say the least.

    Thanks for all of the concern.

    Gwen

  • solstice98
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    It's quiet in east Orlando tonight too. I just heard on the weather that there's another band or two out there but I think we are basically done with Fay.

    Glad everyone is OK!

    Kate

  • geezerfolks_SharonG_FL
    15 years ago

    Our neighbor had to bring his cows, goats and chickens to his front yard. He's flooded up to the back of his house-he has quite a bit of property that runs along the back of 6 or 7 lots. He's been out inspecting what's causing the extra flooding, been talking to someone who is new to this area and is building a house. This guy apparently dug a ditch across something and it messed up the whole drainage system. Our neighbor is very knowledgeable about things like this, so he knew something was different from the usual flooding we have. Our house is up on a rise so we're still ok. Ever since we moved here, we've put the downed palm fronds, branches and yard stuff out back and to the side of our property next to the neighbor hoping to help build up a natural flood barrier. Looks like it's paying off. We had a big rain this morning, but I think we might be done with it....we'll see.

    SharonG/FL

  • rosajoe_gw
    15 years ago

    Lost power yesterday, thank goodness it came back around 8 PM.
    Losts of rain but no flooding for us, all around us was much worse.
    Daughter in Orlando (Longwood) has a flooded garage and back yard.
    They said they are all sick of rain!!!! We needed it but just not all at once.
    Glad everyone is safe!!!!!
    Rosa

  • geezerfolks_SharonG_FL
    15 years ago

    Right now the sun is shining, but it looks like we might get some rain later on. The water ended up being above DH's ankles in his greenhouse but has now gone down about an inch. A lot of clean-up, including the roof. That's ok, more debris to put in back of the house to build it up further back. Holly (DD#3) didn't fair as well. They had water come through to their living room floor...again. This is the third time. They've sprayed water-proofing on the outside brick but it looks like it might have to be done yearly. As long as this wasn't listed as a hurricane, they don't have to pay the hurricane deductible and they've decided they don't want to deal with wet carpet again (we were there the first 2 times) so they're thinking about tile. Looks like next week-end is planned for us. Her surgery is on Tuesday so she'll be out of commission...I told her I'd cook a turkey for sandwiches for everybody.

    I don't know how that double posting happened, must have been during one of the surges....sorry.

    We've pretty much dodged another one...thank you everyone for your prayers.

    SharonG/FL

  • cannahavana
    15 years ago

    I hope you all are finally drying out.

    Thanks for sending Fay my way! She has finally arrived and we are suppose to get a good three days rain from her. We sure have been needing it!

    Rebecca

  • solstice98
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Glad to help out, Rebecca! My brother is north of Atlanta and they are getting much needed rain too.

  • annabelle1941
    15 years ago

    Until reading all of these posts, i did not realise how lucky we are in the U.K. People are always complaining about the weather and we do have heavy rain and flooding occasionally but not to the extent that you do. You all seem so well prepared and i do hope that you are all now safe and sound and that you will have a Happy Christmas.

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